Eriogonum heracleoides (Parsnipflower Buckwheat)

Plant Description: an umbel-like buckwheat made of several delicate clusters of cream-colored flowers often tinged with yellow or rose. While the flowering stems are erect, between 4 to 15 inches; the base is a prostrate mat of loose leafy rosettes composed of tomentose linear to lanceolate leaves. Its usual habitat is rocky areas such as sagebrush deserts and Ponderosa pine forests.

• Height: 1-3ft
• Width: 1 ft
• Watering needs: water when top 3in of soil is dry
• Sun needs: full sun
• Soil needs: well-draining to dry
• Bloom Time: May-July
  
• Portland Plant List (Backyard Habitat Certification): No

Landscape Use and Ecological Function: Parsnipflower buckwheat proves to be a showy perennial in the western United States including California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Utah, Nevada, Wyoming, and Colorado. It has a long blooming period and can start as early as May and continue into mid-summer to support pollinators. It is usually found at 7,000 feet or lower, and when in full flower, creates a blanket of solid wildflowers. Supports a wide variety of native butterflies and moths.